How to Find and Fix Hot and Cold Spots

If you find that you have hot and cold spots through your Excelsior Springs home, you’re not alone. This is a relatively regular occurrence. While it might seem like a larger problem, the good news is that the normal causes of hot and cold spots are typically easy to fix with a straightforward air conditioning service. The most common causes for hot and cold spots are:

No zoning or improper zoning

Poorly designed or ineffectively sized duct systems

Leaky or inefficiently insulated air ducts

Improperly sized HVAC equipment

Lack of Zoning or Improper Zoning A zoning system divides your home into separate areas, known as “zones,” and allows you to determine the air temperature in each zone. The system involves multiple thermostats that operate dampers in the ductwork of your forced-air system. The thermostats constantly read the temperature of their assigned zone, then open or close the dampers to match up with the thermostat's settings. This could be the missing link to keeping that one cold bedroom warm in the winter, or that smoldering sunroom comfortable all summer. Plus, when it’s used with a programmable thermostat, zoning can mean home energy savings of up to 35 percent.*

Poorly Designed or Ineffectively Sized Duct Systems Some homeowners end up with hot and cold spots simply because their home’s duct system is not sized appropriately for the space that needs heated and cooled, or it’s designed the wrong way. We find this is fairly commonplace in homes that were built before much of today’s tools and training were available. Unfortunately, even the most energy-efficient HVAC equipment can’t meet homeowners’ expectations if the duct system isn’t permitting it to do its job. In fact, a poor duct system could actually cause new equipment to work harder than it should and shorten its life cycle. The experts at Colvin's Inc can help you decide if your duct work is working for your home.

Leaky or Inadequately Insulated Air Ducts Even if your duct system is properly designed and sized for your home, it may still be the cause of your home’s hot and cold spots. It’s commonplace for the ducts in a home to leak a bit over time. Pros like Colvin's Inc can inspect your ducts and let you know if they should be sealed. They might also find that your ducts aren’t leaking, but they’re not properly insulated. Fortunately, this is also a fairly routine fix.

Improperly Sized HVAC Equipment So there’s a chance your air duct system is just fine and you have a good zoning system, but you’re still noticing hot and cold spots throughout your home. Improperly sized HVAC equipment may be the issue. A system that is too small has to run harder to heat or cool your home, which leaves hot and cold spots because it can’t handle the amount of space it needs to condition. Even a system that’s too big can leave you with problems because it’ll cycle on and off too often to do its job properly.

No matter what’s the culprit of the hot and cold spots in your home, Colvin's Inc can help. Just give us a call at 816-630-2702 and we’ll help you pinpoint the problem and decide if you need air conditioning service, or any other types of HVAC service that could help you keep your home comfortable.

With more than 100 years in the field, Lennox has continuously provided industry-leading innovation and technology while maintaining strict durability and reliability standards. The experts at Colvin's Inc help bring those standards to Excelsior Springs so that you can always maintain complete home comfort. If you’re looking for a new HVAC system or even if you just have a question about what we carry, give us a shout at 816-630-2702 or set up an appointment with us online. We’d love to hear from you.